i love the circus.i love being fooled and know i am being fooled and playing right along with it.
we take joe to his first circus at age three. "isn't he a bit young?" chris asks. "no!" i snap a little too quickly. "um, he'll enjoy the, um, overall fanfare, the animals, the music---" i begin, ticking off the features on my fingers. "one word," chris replies, "clowns." i say, "clowns, schmowns. we're going."
the richmond (virginia) coliseum is a large venue for a circus. from our seats, we can't even see the facial features of the clowns. i inwardly sigh with relief (can't be blamed for that phobia later in life!) this means nothing else is in clear view, either. i scan the floor for the ring-master. but in place of the proper, top-hatted ringmaster is a crowd-cajoling emcee. "everybody dance!" he orders us, waving his sequin-shirted arms above his head in time to the music. duh-duh-dududududu-duh-duh. no tinkling calliope. no exotic bongo drums. just regular sporting event music, including "charge!" it's probably the same tape used in the previous night's hockey match.
this is not a circus.
cut to europe...
circus 1: robert renz, breda, the netherlands
the robert renz circus hails from germany and it feels a bit like a cabaret. small venue featuring burgundy velvet curtains, chandeliers lining the perimeter, a neat little orchestra suspended above the stage. a divine setting. in the first half, we see dancing poodles, seals balancing balls on their noses, trapeze artists. the story-book works. this is one classy circus.
intermission. joe turns to me. "that was great. let's go." "but we still have another hour," i reply. joe levels his eyes at me, then casually cuts them to the vending ladies. he's got me. i count my euros, and then load up accordingly on sweet popcorn, bags of haribo, lollies so big they will last at least another hour, and two of those unwieldy spinning light-up wands which are certain to be dropped and domino the popcorn, the haribo, and the stain-threatening red and blue slushies joe and tally balance between their wobbly little knees.... it pretty much all turns out like that two minutes into the unicycle on the high wire act, and no amount of "paper" napkins can salvage the carnage. and it then takes me two days to wash all of the lolly out of tally's hair.circus 2: unidentified circus, same location in breda
i can tell by trailers encircling the market's car park that the circus is back. i can barely contain my glee.
the kids and i go on the first day and score seats in the second row. "now we can see all the good bits," i tell them. they are nonplussed until an entire group of school children file into the row behind us.
they immediately turn around to catch that action, and i focus my attention on the ring. two phrases: politically incorrect -- "here come the fire-eaters straight from the heart of the deepest Congo!" and low-rent. from my position i see the tears dripping down the face of the man walking on glass and the daggers the woman on the wheel of death shoots from her eyes as her partner barely misses her with his very real and very sharp daggers. and i hear the strongman swear as he drops a weight too close to his toes. oh the humanity of it all! i watch with my hands over my eyes -- but fingers spread.
right before the karaily brothers from kahzakstan attempt to create a human pyramid with about 16 family members using JUST THEIR ARMS, the clown makes his appearance. he is sad and wants some cheers. he begins to cry...the kids are ogling the kids behind them so they aren't prepared when he spews REAL WATER and A LOT of it from his clenched fists. and since we're in the second row...
circus 3: chiswick, london
i book tickets on a weekend so chris can join us. "no way am i missing the unicycle on the high wire OR the act where two brothers balance an ENTIRE family on JUST THEIR ARMS" i tell him, "so if joe and tally start crying or get bored, i'll just meet ya'll at home." he looks at me in disbelief.
zippos turns out to be a nice family circus. a little of this. some of that. yes a unicycle on a high wire. no human pyramid. yes a proper ringmaster who enthralls with a deep voice and slightly sinister blue eyes. no wheel of death involving knives, but yes one involving the "crazy columbians" who basically log-roll on a giant hamster wheel which in turn circles like a ferris wheel. at one point brother eduardo slips and clings for his life from the uppermost point of the rotation. i gasp, "he's going to die!" chris laughs and says "it's all part of the act. they're just building suspense." i purse my lips and shake my head. be gone, you non-believer.
i can't wait til next time.
